HEART OF THE WOLF

Today I have the pleasure of telling you about HEART OF THE WOLF, by Terry Spear. I love books with a hot romance and a lot of danger and suspense. And HEART OF THE WOLF fits that definition perfectly.

Terry Spear has written a very unique shape-shifter romance because she’s studied wolf pack social relations and transferred what she learned to a shape-shifter wolf pack. Or rather two packs–the grays and the reds.

HEART OF THE WOLF is the story of Bella and Devlyn, two shape-shifter lovers who have what looks like an insurmountable problem. When her red wolf pack is killed in a fire, Bella is taken in by the grays. But she’s forced to flee her adopted pack because Volan, the abusive alpha male, wants her. And she loathes him. Devlyn is the beta male, and he must do Volan’s bidding–including bringing Bella back to the pack where she will be forced to submit to the leader.

If Devlyn wants to claim Bella for his own, he must fight Volan to the death. Does he want her enough to fight for her? Is he strong enough to win out? Or will he die trying?

But Volan isn’t their only problem. The red wolves are on a killing spree, and Devlyn and Bella must flee the police and also their vengeful pack leader–while coping with their overwhelming need for each other.

Terry Spear rolls all that into a sensual, action-packed read that you won’t want to miss.

Rebecca York

Whose Fantasy Is This Anyway?

Back in the early 20th century, Sigmund Freud asked his famous question, “What do women want?”

Judging from my spam folder, I think guys are still trying to figure that out.

Penis enlargement is the–um–big thing. All you need is a super-sized tool, and the women will fall all over themselves to go to bed with you. Of course, I keep wondering how you’re supposed to reveal this piece of equipment to get her interested. Flash her at the office or on a bus?

Guys are preoccupied with size. And volume, apparently. How about THIS ad?

“Did you know that a recent survey showed that 85% of women actually get aroused by a man who produces ‘above average’ semen amounts? With our pills, she’ll be speechless… and definitely coming back for more…”

Yeah, she’ll be speechless, all right–when he floods her out of the bed.

Okay, I realize I’m getting a little gross here. And I also realize these ads play to male fantasies and vulnerabilities. It’s easy to satisfy your sweetie. You don’t have to be good at conversation, dancing or foreplay. Flowers, candy, and Champagne? A tender show of emotion?

Forget all that. You’ve got everything you need right in your magic wand. The bigger the better.
Any man who bothered to sit down and read a romance novel would find out very quickly that semen is pretty far down the list of what turns a woman on. Really, how many love scenes have you read where the guy erupts like Mt. Vesuvius? Or love scenes that get around to cleaning up after sex? Not many. Of course, a big tool can be a turn-on. But it’s not the be all and end all of sex. Just pointing that Maypole at her, then stuffing it into “slot B,” isn’t going to do the trick, because a woman needs her partner to turn her on before they get to intercourse. Remember that famous line from SEX AND THE CITY, delivered after a particularly disastrous sexual encounter: “Do you know what a clitoris is?”

Romance novels make it pretty clear what women want. We’re looking for a man who focuses his attention on his woman. Who charms her with his witty dialogue, then slowly and skillfully uses his hands and mouth to bring her to a tingling level of arousal before he . . . .

Well, you get the idea.

I enjoy writing love scenes where a man and a woman give each other pleasure. And when I’m in the middle of one, I’m as focused on the emotions of my hero and heroine as I am on the physical descriptions. The emotions of these two people and the building arousal reinforce each other to give the scene a depth that most male writers can’t achieve.

There are a few men who can do it, though. One guy who “gets it” is Ken Follett. In fact, he was actually one of my role models. When I read THE KEY TO REBECCA, my reaction was, “THAT’S what I want to write–two people falling in love against a background of suspense and danger.”

The hero and heroine may start off lusting after each other. They may jump into bed for the fun of it. But they end up committed to each other–body, mind, and soul.

Since I write romantic thrillers, I know my plot is going to drag my hero and heroine to hell and back. But I also know I’m going to reward them with a long, happy life together. And a fantastic sexual relationship is always part of the package.

To bring us around to the paranormal, that’s one of the reasons I got into werewolves. I love writing about the men in the Marshall family–my strong, sexy alpha male shape-shifters.

They enjoy sex on a very basic, very animal level. But when each of them finds his lifemate, the sex between them is mind-blowing–and a strong part of the bond they forge. In my latest book, GHOST MOON, even when Caleb Marshall is a ghost, he’s using sensuality to reach out to my heroine, Quinn, because he longs for a physical connection with her.

Sex is always integral to my stories. But sex in the context of a relationship where each partner takes pleasure in pleasing the other.

That’s what I’d like guys to take away from my books.

What do you want from your fantasy lover? And from the romances you read?

Dangerous Heroes

A couple of weeks ago, I gave a talk on the horror genre at the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation Conference in Oklahoma City. As I researched the topic, I realized something interesting. The roots of paranormal romantic suspense reach all the way back to the dawn of time. One of the ways the shaman of an ancient tribe maintained power over his people was to protect them from the scary beings that who roamed the night. And in those ancient spectral creatures, we can see the roots of today’s literary vampires, werewolves, demons, ghosts, and all the other beasts who fill the paranormal universe.

In paranormal romantic suspense, the villains may come from the ranks of these fearsome creatures. But at the same time, the vampires, demons and shape-shifters have also morphed into the heroes of many books. In my Berkley Moon series, for example, I’m writing about a family of very sexy alpha males–who happen to be werewolves. My first werewolf was Ross Marshall in KILLING MOON. He saw himself as an aberration in the modern world, yet he desperately wanted to be part of humanity. And the right woman helped him make peace with the wolf side of his being.

Now Ross Marshall is the linchpin of the family, guiding his younger brothers and cousins into a life they never could have imagined.. In my May book, GHOST MOON, he’s the one who organizes the family to fight a terrorist threat against the U.S. government. And he’s also the wolf who’s secure enough to reach out to my hero, Caleb Marshall, a ghost who was killed by Ross’s great-grandfather.

Intrigue is famous for sexy alpha males heroes. And that’s one of the things I love about writing for the line. For me, the paranormal element takes it even farther. My werewolves may be the heroes of my books, but you never know when their savage side will emerge. In GHOST MOON, Caleb wants to rip out the throat of the man who killed him. Since he’s seventy-five years too late to do that, he’ll go after the guy’s grandsons instead.

How far do you like to take the danger in your romantic suspense? Do you like dangerous, unpredictable heroes? Do you like heroes who live outside the bounds of civilization? Who is your ideal Intrigue hero? Or romantic suspense hero?

Rebecca

THE DARKEST NIGHT, by Gena Showalter

Here's the latest page-turner from Gena Showalter!


His powers – Inhuman
His passion -- Beyond immortal . . .

All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member -- a man cursed to die every night, only to awaken the next morning knowing he has to die again.

Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms their torments . . . and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction -- and a soul-shattering test of love . . .

Though they carry an eternal curse, the Lords of the Underworld are irresistibly seductive -- and unimaginably powerful . . . Don’t miss this incredible new paranormal series from Gena Showalter!


Cover: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511Dij-UhmL._SS500_.jpg

Read a three chapter excerpt here!


ABOUT GENA SHOWALTER

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter has been praised for her “sizzling page-turners” and “utterly spellbinding stories.” The author of more than seventeen novels and anthologies, Showalter is celebrated in a wide variety of genres for her breathtaking romances featuring dark, seductive heroes and strong, appealing heroines. Readers can’t get enough of her trademark wit and singular imagination, whether she’s writing paranormal stories about vampires, nymphs and superheroes, white-hot contemporary romance or alien huntress books. Her newest series, Lords of the Underworld, promises to be her sexiest and most addictive yet. Don’t miss this intoxicating blend of dangerous passion, demons and other supernatural forces, and immortal men who are hotter than hell!

REVIEWS

"A fascinating premise, a sexy hero and non-stop action, The Darkest Night is Showalter at her finest, and a fabulous start to an imaginative new series." Karen Marie Moning, New York Times best selling author
One of the premier authors of paranormal romance. --New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole

You can buy your copy at: Amazon or Barnes and Noble

Website http://www.genashowalter.com
http://www.lordsoftheunderworld.net